Twin Arrows and Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater was 40 minutes from Flagstaff. I had read that it takes about two hours to visit the Meteor Crater Visitors center. So, I went to a Starbucks in Flagstaff and did some online work.
The drive down interstate 40 was congested. A sign announced “Accident Ahead” and it appeared that something went over the guardrail and down the side of a huge hill. There were five massive tow / crane vehicles at the site. Four of the vehicles were being used and one was in wait. Traffic didn’t really slow down that much.
The right lane was a long convoy of tractor-trailers driving at 70 mph. I put the car in cruise and rode with the convoy. I passed an old gas station and a sign ahead said Two Arrows. The station looked interesting from the interstate and I pulled off to explore.
Twin Arrows Gas Station
The old Twin Arrows gas station is a historic landmark located along Route 66 near Flagstaff, Arizona. The gas station was built in 1947 and was one of the many service stations that dotted the iconic highway. The station was named after the two large arrows that were mounted on top of a tall pole, which were meant to catch the attention of passing motorists and draw them into the gas station.
The Twin Arrows gas station was designed in the Googie style, which was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. This style featured futuristic designs, bold colors, and elements of space-age technology. The gas station's unique design and prominent location made it a popular stop for travelers along Route 66. The station featured a small convenience store, a service bay for car repairs, and restrooms for travelers.
In the late 1990s, the Twin Arrows gas station was abandoned and fell into disrepair. It now appears to be a popular tourist attraction. While I was there, two other cars stopped to take photos. As I walked around, I thought about the amount of spray paint that was required to make all the graffiti. I saw several cans scattered around.
Having spent a few years in the gas station business, I found the technology fascinating. I was looking for the underground storage tanks (UST) and then noticed that they actually had above ground storage tanks (AST). These were in the back away from the main station and had a large holding area in the event of a catastrophic leak. The back side was more interesting than the front because of both the skill level that went into the graffiti and the actual message.
Meteor Crater
My actual destination was still twenty minutes away. I got back into the caravan took the Meteor Crater exit. There was a sign for the Meteor Crater Campsite just off the exit. I stopped to get the rates and they told me if I toured Meteor Crater and brought the receipt back, I’d receive a twenty percent discount.
Segment Of The Meteor
I arrived at the Meteor Crater Visitors Center by 2:00 pm. The center is located near the rim of the crater, and it offers a range of exhibits and activities that allow visitors to learn about the history of the impact and the science behind it. The center includes an interactive museum that features displays on meteorites, impact craters, and the history of space exploration. Visitors can also take a guided tour of the crater rim and the surrounding area, or a self-guided tour. Other amenities at the visitor center include a gift shop, a cafe, and a theater that shows a short film about the impact and the ongoing scientific research at Meteor Crater.
Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater, is a massive impact crater located in the northern Arizona desert, about 37 miles east of Flagstaff. It was formed around 50,000 years ago when a meteorite, estimated to be about 150 feet in diameter, struck the Earth's surface at a speed of approximately 28,000 miles per hour.
The impact created a massive explosion that released an enormous amount of energy, estimated to be equivalent to 10 million tons of TNT. The impact crater that was formed was nearly a mile wide and over 500 feet deep.
For many years, the crater remained relatively unknown, until a mining engineer named Daniel Moreau Barringer recognized it as an impact crater in the early 1900s. Barringer believed that there were valuable minerals beneath the crater and spent many years trying to excavate them. However, he was unsuccessful in finding any valuable resources.
Several Apollo astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, Alan Shepard, and Eugene Cernan, trained at Meteor Crater in Arizona in the 1960s and early 1970s. The astronauts visited the crater to study the geological features of impact craters and to practice collecting rock samples, which would later be used during the lunar missions. The training sessions at Meteor Crater were part of the broader effort by NASA to prepare astronauts for the challenges they would face during the Apollo missions and to ensure that they were equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct scientific research on the Moon.
The Barringer Medal is an award named after Daniel Moreau Barringer, the mining engineer who first recognized the Meteor Crater in Arizona as an impact crater. The medal is awarded by the Meteoritical Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of meteorites and other extraterrestrial materials. The Barringer Medal is awarded to individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to the field of impact cratering research. The award is presented every two years at the Meteoritical Society's annual meeting. The Barringer Medal is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of impact cratering research.
The original design for the building was done by Frank Lloyd Wright, but the design was not accepted.
Frank Lloyd Wright Design for Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater Camping
I went back to the campsite with my receipt and got the 20% discount. I decided to stay here because the sites were large, away from heavy traffic and they had clean showers and fast Internet. They also were using Star Link.
Across the street from the campground is an old oil well.
I made dinner and cleaned up. The wind was picking up, so I got into the car and was able to watch the UConn vs. Gonzaga Elite 8 basketball game.